The ghost village lost in time for 80 years

At a glance

In December 1943 the final resident left the village of Tyneham on the Dorset coast
The government had commandeered the area to be used for military training ahead of the D-Day landings
Residents never returned and it remains deserted
The village is open to walkers when military training is not happening

Stephen Stafford

BBC News

19 December 2023

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In December 1943, the final resident left Tyneham on the Dorset coast, a month after the government ordered the village be evacuated for World War Two military training - it has been deserted ever since.
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After eight decades, the roofless shells of houses and cottages offer passing curious walkers and visitors a glimpse of the life of a long-departed community.
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The villagers were initially promised they would be able to return to their homes when the war was over. But the demands of the Cold War meant the post-war Atlee government kept the land for military use.
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In the 1970s, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) began to allow greater access for walkers and made buildings safe.
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The village school - which closed in 1932 - is one of the buildings open to visitors, offering a sense of village life.
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Signs of the 225 village residents who left in 1943 are still evident.
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The first service for 38 years was held in the church in 1979.
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The village, which forms part of The South West Coast Path, is open to the public by the MoD when training on the Lulworth Ranges is not taking place. Visitors can see the village church, school house and farm complex.

"Thank you for treating the village kindly", read a note pinned to Tyneham's church door as the final inhabitants hurriedly left in 1943.

The estate and village, nestled near the Dorset coast, had been commandeered as a tank firing range ahead of D-Day with its 225 inhabitants told to leave their homes.

They never returned.

Eighty years on, the village remains deserted except for the weekends when the public are allowed to come and explore - but decades of military training have left scars on the village the residents left behind.

Flick through the gallery above to see the village that was left behind and what it looks like now.

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The ghost village lost in time for 80 years

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